Madison – Today, the Assembly was in session to take up a number of bills regarding alterations to the criminal justice system in Wisconsin. Representative Dave Considine (D-Baraboo) issued the following statement on the passage of these bills:
“Everybody deserves to feel and be safe in their community. We can all agree on this. The bills that came before me for a vote today do not make our communities safer. Instead, they react to crime. We need to shift our focus to investing in prevention. Our communities need the resources to improve Wisconsin’s criminal justice system.
“Governor Evers’ budget makes critical investments in our community that would prevent crime and improve the system. This includes significant funding in shared revenue, which under the new formula, would allocate even more dollars into public safety. By increasing shared revenue, municipalities in Wisconsin will be better equipped to recruit and retain district attorneys. Additionally, Governor Evers’ budget includes $12.5 million GPR in the treatment alternative and diversion program (TAD). This program provides opportunities for individuals to receive treatment and peer support, which has been proven to reduce recidivism.
“I agree that we need reform in our criminal justice system. It is my hope that these important investments remain in the budget.”
